Summer Shape Up 2017 Intro post + Week 1

Get ready, friends, it’s time for Summer Shape Up 2017! I’m so excited to be on this  journey with you again, and ready to watch you crush those summer fitness goals!

plank variation

All About Summer Shape Up (SSU)

Summer Shape Up is 4 weeks of free workouts, meal ideas, giveaways and group support!! You’ll change up your routine, build lean muscle and hopefully have fun doing it! 🙂 Save This Post!

Summer Shape Up 2017! Get your free fitness and nutrition plan here. fitnessista.com

This post will serve as “the hub” for EVERYTHING SSU 2017 related. Bookmark it, pin it, make it your homepage, do whatever you need to do to make all of the info easily accessible to you <3 For even more fun, spread the word with friends and make it a group challenge! 

Each week of SSU, I’ll update this page with weekly fitness plans and meal ideas. Please keep in mind that these are general recommendations, based on healthy (injury-free), gym-going girls, experienced with basic strength training form and a baseline cardio program. Nothing I post should substitute doctors’ recommendations, and always check with a doc before making any fitness or nutrition changes. If something doesn’t feel right, DON’T do it! You know your body best. I do provide low-impact and pregnancy modifications, but it’s up to you to use your best judgement and doctor’s advice to complete a safe workout. 

 Summer Shape Up is NOT about weight loss. It’s about decreasing body fat (adding lean muscle), feeling more energized and changing up your current routine. Even though the scale could go up during the next four weeks, you could technically “shrink” and weigh more. Muscle is more dense than fat. If anything, focus on how you FEEL! I hope that my ideas will help you find some new strength moves you love (or love to hate?) and develop the best fitness program for you.

Gym bag

What You’ll Need:

-A huge water bottle (fill with H20 and keep with you at all times)

-A notebook (to track your water intake, workouts and meals for each day. If you have an online method you prefer, you can use that instead. I love the My Fitness Pal app)

-Access to cardio of choice whether it’s through classes, running outdoors, or an at-home cardio machine

-Set of dumbbells

Resistance band

Bonus: workout buddies! Round up the troops.  

Before and After 

Before we get started, take some “before” pics wearing a swimsuit or sports bra and fitted shorts, so you can take some “after” shots at the end of four weeks. Bonus points for bad lighting, bad posture and a grouchy look on your face. 

If you’d like, you can also take some measurements:

-Calves (max circumference)

-Thighs (10 inches above the patella)

-Hips (keep feet together and measure the widest part across the middle of your booty)

-Stomach (the widest part of your stomach)-Waist (the narrowest part of your waist)

-Chest

-Bicep

Shape Up Q&A:

How do I check in with the workouts?

Leave a comment here on the blog, or tag me on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram (@fitnessista #summershapeup). You can also join in the fun in our interactive private Facebook group. It’s a great way to share support for other SSU members and ask questions.

I am a planner and would like to get the meal ideas and workouts early! How do I do that?

Sign up for my email newsletter (using the widget above or just above the comments section of this post)! All subscribers get the info on Friday of that week. Also, I’m not a spammer (it’s a pet peeve of mine when companies/people email blast me every.day. I will not do that you! If anything I’ll email once a week max, and make sure to include fun/informative content and value for ya.)

Wait, where’s Anne?

Anne, my lovely RD friend, will often join us to provide nutrition and meal-planning expertise. It’s been awesome to have her on board, and I’ve been so thankful for her help with the challenge. She is pretty busy over the summer (and has a bun in the oven!), and will hopefully be back for Winter Shape Up! In the meantime, I’ll be sharing some healthy meal ideas and planning tips. (Please keep in mind that I’m not an RD! I am a certified Weight Loss Specialist and can share healthy meal ideas and portion suggestions, but if you need help planning for your unique needs and preferences, please seek out the help of an RD in your area.) 

Plan and Prep

Before each week begins, take a second to jot down your goals for the week. Grocery shop for staple foods, making sure to emphasize clean, whole choices. 

Grocery Staples I Always Have on Hand:

Bread or tortillas and grains (whole-grain, brown rice tortillas, quinoa, brown rice, wild rice)

Eggs (2 dozen)

Egg whites (I like the yolks, and they’re very nutritious, but when I just want pure protein, or add extra, I’ll have egg whites)

Salad supplies (greens, fresh fruit and veggies, nuts, balsamic vinegar, apple cider vinegar, fresh herbs, protein)

Protein (chicken, salmon, tuna, and tempeh are my faves)

Fruits (berries and bananas are my fave!)

Nuts, nut butter and seeds (we always have almonds and chia seeds on hand)

Milk (whatever milk you love. We enjoy almond milk)

Green veggies

Frozen berries and veggies (for smoothies or quick stir fries)

Healthy treats/ snacks (I love TJ’s hummus, edamame crackers, trail mix goodies, and dark chocolate bars)

Healthy Eating Reminders:

“EAT LIKE A PRO” throughout the challenge, making sure that each meal/snack has a PROtein and PROduce component.

-Prep as many clean eats as you can in advance and put your workout calendar in an easily visible spot. This way you’ll be more likely to stick to your goals.

 -For your meals, mix and match according to your preferences and needs. Give yourself some room for repeats (for example, I have banana-oat pancakes at least twice a week), allow for one night of leftovers and one night out to enjoy dinner at a restaurant or out with friends.

Before we head into Week 1 details, I want to thank our amazing sponsor, Naturally More!

Naturally More Logo

I LOVE Naturally More nut butters. They taste fantastic, and include probiotics and flax. They’ve been a favorite of ours for years, and I’m so excited to welcome them to the SSU party. Their nut butters are non-GMO, gluten-free, vegan, and have no trans fats. They have a variety of flavors (crunch and creamy peanut butters, natural almond butter with probiotics, chocolate hazelnut spread <— my personal fave, and organic Valencia peanut butter). They have a handy spout at the top so you can easily squeeze the nut butters onto fruits, oats, or into smoothies, and I joked with the Pilot that they were like baby food pouches. WAY easily than getting a spoon out of the fridge. I can squeeze it directly into my mouth hahah. This means they’re perfect for stashing in your purse or gym bag for an on-the-go healthy snack.

Naturally More nut butters

Stay tuned for some fun giveaways and Naturally More goodness throughout the challenge. 

I also want to thank Julia from Luminous Lines for designing the beautiful SSU logos:

Summer Shape Up 2017! Get your free fitness and nutrition plan here. fitnessista.com

and Lindsay Colson for all of the photography. 

Summer Shape Up 2017 is here! Get your free 4-week fitness plan and meal ideas here.

Now, let’s get into Week 1!

Week 1 Schedule, Workouts and Meal Ideas

Helathy meal prep for a week

Week 1 Meal Ideas:

Breakfast:

Homemade Acai Bowls 

Blender Banana Oat Pancakes 

Grain-Free Chocolate Chip Muffins 

Lunch: 

Mexican Stuffed Sweet Potatoes 

Greek Chicken Salad 

Single Serving Bone Broth Soups 

Healthy homemade single serving bone broth soups

Snacks:

Quick and Easy Snack Bites

2-Minute Microwave Chocolate Protein Muffin

Guacamole with crudités 

Brownie Batter Protein Bites 

Dinner:

Garlic Lime Salmon

Spring Roll Chicken Salad

Spiced Chicken Manchegos with House Guacamole and Calabacitas

Spring roll chicken salad

 

Workout schedule:

Your full 4-week plan can be saved and printed HERE

Workouts: (Links will be added as they’re posted)

Workout 1

Workout 2

Workout 3

Workout 4

Workout 5

Are you ready for it?! Leave me a comment and let me know! What’s a fitness goal you’re working towards?

xo

Gina

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30 Comments

  1. Guest on July 17, 2017 at 6:11 am

    Just completed workout 1. Very sweaty!

  2. Erika on July 17, 2017 at 7:15 am

    SO excited to begin! What would you do for sides for meals like the Garlic Lime Salmon and other main meals???

  3. Christina @ montessoriishmom.com on July 17, 2017 at 7:31 am

    Yay! I was about to have a baby last summer and didn’t participate, so am extra excited this year 🙂 Also, I’ve had frozen acai in my freezer for like a month, unsure what to do with it, so am definitely going to try out your recipe this week.

  4. Jackie on July 17, 2017 at 8:18 am

    I tripped the other day and have to skip running for a while until it feels 100%. This couldn’t have come at a better time!

  5. Bridget on July 17, 2017 at 8:20 am

    Yasssss this is the motivation I need. Getting back into the workout/fitness routine now that my baby is 9 months old! Excited for this challenge. 🙂

  6. Carrie on July 17, 2017 at 8:53 am

    Yay! I love this every year!! So many recipes to save!!

  7. Brandy H. on July 17, 2017 at 9:23 am

    Yay! I am so excited! Usually I start these and then don’t finish! This time I am ready! I created a folder for everything and measurements are taken. Let’s do this!

  8. Rachel on July 17, 2017 at 11:02 am

    Tried workout 1 last week and can’t wait to do it again today! I have two questions while perusing the calendar. Is steady state cardio just the elliptical/bike/treadmill? Are hills cardio with more of an incline?

  9. Traci | The Petite Chef on July 17, 2017 at 11:28 am

    This sounds like a great program to keep accountable, especially when hitting the beach sounds better this time of year 🙂 I keep a lot of the same staples on hand and also love shopping at Trader Joe’s. It’s my go-to for healthy grocery stock-ups every single week.

    PS. Your new logo for the program came out great! Love it.

  10. Melissa on July 17, 2017 at 11:32 am

    Happy to participate!!

  11. Morgan on July 17, 2017 at 12:50 pm

    Did workout 1 this morning – loved it!

  12. priya on July 17, 2017 at 1:17 pm

    i love naturally more! excited to do WO1!

  13. Sara on July 17, 2017 at 1:19 pm

    Did two rounds of workout 1 this morning. I am almost 5 months postpartum and am modifying where needed (hello plank and punch! That one was not happening on my toes) Looking forward to showing my body some love and grace over the next 4 weeks!

  14. Tracy on July 17, 2017 at 2:47 pm

    I’m in! Love the chance to change my routine. Loved WO#2 so far!

  15. kelli @ hungry hobby on July 18, 2017 at 12:07 am

    YUM! So many great ideas, love this!

  16. Amanda on July 18, 2017 at 10:16 am

    My Monday workout was a lunchtime walk (with an iguana sighting!) and then xtend barre class after work.

  17. Emily @ Pizza & Pull-ups on July 18, 2017 at 10:31 am

    Workout #1 kicked my booty last night. Thanks for putting this on.

  18. Jen on July 18, 2017 at 12:39 pm

    steady state (spin) Monday and workout 1 today! <3

  19. Samantha on July 18, 2017 at 1:02 pm

    Workout #1yesterday and spinning today! Thanks!!!

  20. Allison T. on July 18, 2017 at 1:03 pm

    Workout #1 was a great sweaty mess! I also knocked out 4 miles this morning for my steady state and now looking forward to the rest of the weeks! Where did you get that tank top from? I need that!

  21. Lindsay on July 18, 2017 at 1:27 pm

    Currently enjoying a Spring Roll Salad and omg it’s my new favorite! I’m honestly really bad at doing a yoga workout without a video to follow along with, so I did a Yoga With Adriene video yesterday, and I plan on doing Workout #1 today when I get home! Yay! So glad it’s back!

  22. Sara on July 18, 2017 at 2:43 pm

    Just did workout #2!!! It was a nice mix of yoga and strength 🙂

  23. Katie O on July 18, 2017 at 4:30 pm

    only had time for two rounds of workout 1 (i’m a day behind), but I’m super schweaty now! I’m hoping to build some functional strength and build up some vanity muscle! Thanks for the awesome workout! this was a fun one!

  24. Michaela on July 18, 2017 at 9:43 pm

    Did workout 1 today. Used 10# weights for the lunges. I think that was a mistake! I’m already sore!

  25. Emily @ Pizza & Pull-ups on July 19, 2017 at 3:51 pm

    I totally needed workout #2 today, thanks!

  26. Amanda on July 20, 2017 at 9:35 am

    Check in for last night’s Xtend Ball (aka barre with a fit ball) class. It was tough! The cues can border on obscene when you’re doing abwork and putting the ball between your legs.

  27. Cristal on July 25, 2017 at 10:18 pm

    Hi Everybody! Does any one know where to find workout #5?? TIA

    • Fitnessista on July 25, 2017 at 10:22 pm

      it’s going up in about 3 hours- it’s an upper body burner <3

      • Cristal on July 25, 2017 at 10:39 pm

        Yea!! Thank you. Can’t wait to wake up and bust it out!

  28. Katie on August 2, 2017 at 2:55 pm

    I’m a little late to the game, but I’m excited to start this tomorrow! 🙂 I love that you don’t focus on weight loss or what you look like (and instead on feeling better). As someone who used to be addicted to exercise and disordered eating, but who needs exercise to feel strong and happy, your approach is very much appreciated!

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